


like the trembling heart of a captive bird

by Impala_Chick



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 1970s, Alternate Universe - 1970s, Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Angst with a Happy Ending, Banter, Christmas, Christmas Party, Cigarettes, Clothed Sex, Enemies to Lovers, Evil Gerard Argent, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time Blow Jobs, Formalwear, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Head Boy Liam, M/M, Pack Dynamics, School Dances, Suit Kink, Suit Porn, Teamwork, Vietnam War, Werewolf Senses, bad boy Theo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:10:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21841621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Chick/pseuds/Impala_Chick
Summary: Liam is head boy for the Juniors at Beacon Hills Preparatory Academy, and Senior Theo Raeken gets in trouble a lot. They don't exactly get along.Everything changes when Gerard Argent shows up. Liam finds out that the supernatural seniors are to be drafted and sent to Vietnam on Gerard’s orders. Liam is determined to keep the pack safe and is surprised when Theo agrees to help. When they work together, Liam realizes there is much more to Theo Raeken then the bad boy stereotype implies.
Relationships: Liam Dunbar & Mason Hewitt, Liam Dunbar & The McCall Pack, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47
Collections: 2019 Thiam Reverse Big Bang





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [osirismind](https://archiveofourown.org/users/osirismind/gifts).
  * Inspired by [like the trembling heart of a captive bird](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/545302) by osirismind. 

> Thank you so much to my amazing artist, Francis! They created some GORGEOUS art and I was totally inspired by their ideas. I feel so lucky to be able to write for them.
> 
> Thanks to Gabe for the beta!
> 
> Title from the number one song at the end of 1972, _First Time I Ever Saw Your Face_ by Roberta Flack.
> 
> *The underage tag is checked because in this story, Liam is 17 (and Theo is 18). There is discussion about the Vietnam War Draft Lottery and the drafting process, and the pack seniors face the stress of possibly getting drafted.

Liam hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but to get to his last class of the day he had to walk up the marble staircase to the second floor of the main building at Beacon Hills Preparatory Academy. The route took him right past Counselor Monroe’s office. 

As he skirted past the large marble Beacon Prep founder’s statue and started up the steps, he saw Nolan and Gabe dart into Monroe’s office and pull the door closed. He tensed and waited at the bottom step for a moment, to see if they noticed him. When they didn’t come back out, Liam quietly made his way up the rest of the stairs. He was careful to make sure his school-issued black loafers didn’t click on the marble floor. 

He made his way down the hall and stopped at the corner. He trained his werewolf hearing on her office and slowed his breathing so he could hear. 

“You’re sure this is everyone?” Monroe was saying.

Presumably one or both of them nodded, because Monroe kept talking.

“General Argent will be here by nightfall. He’ll use the list to ensure that the seniors in the pack get drafted. They should all be shipped off by the end of the semester,” Monroe relayed. Liam felt the blood in his veins turn to ice as he realized what her words meant.

Ever since Scott saw Gerard Argent on campus in his Army-issued uniform, he knew that some kind of trouble was brewing. The worry only increased once Gabe and Nolan started a targeted harassment campaign to identify all of the supernaturals at Beacon Preparatory Academy. 

The supernaturals were to be drafted and sent to Vietnam. At Gerard’s orders.

Liam dashed off down the hall without waiting for Nolan and Gabe to come back out. 

He screeched to a halt in front of his math class and waved his hands until Mason looked up from his seat. He dutifully got up and walked over to Liam.

“What the hell are you doing? Class starts in two minutes,” Mason hissed. 

“We’ve got to ditch. I’ve got important information to pass to the pack,” Liam said through clenched teeth. 

“It can’t wait?” Mason whispered as he looked back into the classroom. Their teacher was still writing on the blackboard and didn’t seem to notice them.

“It’s about General Argent,” Liam relayed solemnly. 

Mason widened his eyes in surprise, and then nodded.

“Right. Well, I’ll get Corey. Let’s meet in Scott’s dorm room? The seniors have study hall this period so they should be easy enough to find.” 

Mason dashed back into the room and Liam took off down the tiled hallway. His loafers clicked against the floor as he burst into the library. 

Scott immediately looked up at him from the table he was sitting at to make eye contact with Liam. Stiles was sitting with him. Liam jogged up to them, slightly out of breath.

“Pack meeting,” he said urgently.

“Liam, what’s going on?” Scott asked as he put down his pencil. His forehead was creased in worry.

“We need to talk about Gerard.” Liam took a deep breath. “Meet in your room?”

Liam noticed Stiles clench his fists at the mention of Gerard’s name. He snapped his textbook shut as he whipped his head around the room, presumably checking to see if anyone overheard him. 

“Mason and Corey?” Scott asked.

“They’re on their way,” Liam confirmed. 

“I’ll get Lydia and meet you guys there.” Stiles gathered his books and hurriedly pushed his chair away from the table.

“I’ll go with you. I think Malia and Lydia are sitting in the quad,” Scott said. He grabbed his red Beacon Prep uniform jacket from the back of his chair, and he and Stiles hurried out the door.

Liam adjusted his messenger bag as he ran. He crossed the lacrosse field and burst into the boy’s dormitory. He stepped into the huge front hall, where various historical busts lined the walls and his shoes clicked against the black and white tile floor.

Liam rounded the corner and ran smack into Theo Raeken.

“So much for werewolf senses, huh?” Theo said with a laugh. He was still wearing his uniform, but his red tie was loosened and the top two buttons of his crisp white uniform shirt were unbuttoned. He was holding his red jacket over his shoulder and his sleeves were rolled up to expose his toned forearms. 

Liam’s heart started to pound in his chest as soon as he laid eyes on him. Now was not the time to engage in the kind of frivolous arguments their encounters always seemed to devolve into.

“I’m sort of in a hurry,” Liam ground out. 

“Don’t let me hold you up, I’m sure you’ve got important head-boy duties to attend to,” Theo said sarcastically.

Liam took a deep breath, careful not to take the bait. They had never gotten along, but Liam was convinced that was mostly because of Theo’s terrible attitude and insistence on being in the halls after curfew. Liam was head boy for the juniors, which meant he had to take a shift as hall monitor once a month. Students who weren’t in their dorm rooms with the lights off after 0900 were given latrine cleaning duty. And Theo was the only student Liam had been forced to punish. He’d caught him in the halls past curfew at least three times.

“Actually, pack meeting. Gerard is coming after Supernaturals,” Liam spat. “If you gave a shit about anyone but yourself, you might be interested in helping.”

Theo snorted and rolled his eyes without saying anything else.

“Whatever,” Liam said dismissively. He sprinted off down the hall, proud of himself for not looking back. It wouldn’t do for the head boy of the Class of 1973 to be caught staring at the student who nearly got expelled last year for breaking the rules.

&

“Gerard is on his way here,” Liam said as he turned to Scott, feeling frantic. “I heard Nolan and Gabe talking.”

Liam looked around the room. Mason and Corey were leaning against Scott’s desk with their arms crossed, to Liam’s right. Scott was sitting on his bed with Malia and Lydia. Stiles was pacing the room with his hands in his pockets. 

“I agree, but we don’t have a whole lot of options.” Scott turned to Lydia with his arms crossed and his eyebrows raised. 

Lydia took a deep breath before speaking. “Let’s go over what we know. Gerard is coming here to meet with Monroe and get the supernaturals list from her. I am fairly confident we are all on that list, except Mason. We need to stop him from getting his hands on it. It’s the proof he needs to get Scott and Brett conscripted into the Army.”

“And Theo,” Liam interjected, his voice low. It wasn’t like he particularly cared about Theo, per se, but Theo was a senior and a werewolf too. If Gerard had his way, all of the supernaturals would be shipped off to Vietnam without a second thought. Liam couldn’t be sure what Gerard would have them all do once they arrived, but he doubted Gerard’s plans involved the supernaturals simply serving in the military like every other conscripted man. 

Liam knew how the draft worked and he knew that his friends might have to do their duty for the country just like every other man over 18. But each of them had already been assigned their draft lottery numbers. It wouldn’t be fair to make any of them leave before their number was up. And it definitely wouldn’t be fair to make them serve under Gerard’s command. Liam suspected Gerard’s actual plans were much more sinister than any of them could imagine.

“Well, we’ve got to destroy those records,” Mason said. 

Just then, Theo walked in. All heads turned towards him, but he remained as calm and cool as ever. Liam felt his heart leap into his throat. He hadn’t expected Theo to actually show up.

“What’s he doing here?” Malia hissed under her breath.

“Is this some kind of game to you?” Stiles bit out as he glared at Theo.

Liam took a step towards Theo.

“I told him about the meeting. Seems like we could use all the help we can get,” he hastily explained.

“Guys, don’t spaz out. We could probably use the help,” Scott said calmly as he held up his hands. 

Liam breathed a sigh of relief just as Theo caught his eye. He raised an eyebrow and bit his lip, so Liam narrowed his eyes and glared at him. He still wasn’t sure whether Theo could be trusted.

Liam didn’t tune back into the conversation until Mason elbowed him in the ribs.

“As I was saying, we need a way to get Monroe away from the school,” Mason said as he pointedly looked at Liam.

Liam knew that if they tried to take action at school on a Saturday, Monroe would figure it out before they had a chance to get to her office. The pack never stayed on campus on a Saturday if they could help it. And even though most of them could run with supernatural speed, they usually piled into Stiles’ piece of crap jeep in order to head to the arcade or the bowling alley or even the drive-in together. But then Liam remembered that Theo had a truck.

“I actually have an idea, but it requires two cars. Which means Theo will have to drive.” Liam grinned wickedly and everyone leaned forward as he relayed his plan.

&

“Do you see them?” Liam asked as he crouched behind a huge blue chevrolet.

“Yes,” Theo hissed as he peered around the car.

“Are they walking this way?” Liam whispered. He was trying not to lean against Theo, but there was only so much space up against the wheel well and he didn’t want to be spotted by the couple sitting in the car next to them. 

The movie had just started playing on the huge white screen, and the title track was blaring from the speakers placed around the drive-in. Liam figured there was a good chance they wouldn’t be heard, but he kept his voice down anyway.

“Hard to tell. I don’t think they know where we are,” Theo replied. 

“Shit. If they don’t keep looking for us, they’ll just go back to the school,” Liam whispered harshly. 

“I know why we’re here,” Theo grumbled, annoyed. 

It was vital to the plan that he and Theo keep Nolan and Monroe distracted for at least 30 minutes. If they didn’t, Nolan and Monroe would go back to the Academy and catch Scott and Malia right in the middle of destroying the records they were stealing from Monroe’s office. 

Theo crept around the Chevrolet and darted behind a big brown Buick parked near it. Liam followed suit, trying not to growl in frustration. They were close enough to be able to see Nolan and Monroe clearly weaving there way through the cars. Nolan was still wearing his school uniform. They were peering into Stiles’ jeep, but Stiles and Lydia had abandoned it in favor of hiding behind the popcorn stand. The Pack knew Monroe didn’t care about finding the humans. But Liam needed her to believe the werewolves were at the drive-in, too. 

“Shit,” Liam swore. His plan was going to hell. He checked his watch and it had only been ten minutes. There was no way that was enough time for Scott and Malia to destroy the list. 

Theo suddenly popped up from their hiding spot and turned around. 

“What in the hell are you doing?” Liam whispered. He grabbed Theo’s arm to pull him back behind the car, but Theo didn’t budge.

“Why in the hell won’t you listen to Scott?” Theo shouted. Liam’s eyes widened as he glared at Theo. 

“Seriously, shut up!”

“Scott and Malia are just trying to watch the movie, Liam!” Theo shouted even louder than he had before. 

“Hey, keep it down!” Some stranger shouted from somewhere on Liam’s left. Theo was disturbing the entire drive-in with his inane shouting. Which meant that Monroe and Nolan had probably heard him, too.

Liam popped his head up to look in their direction. Sure enough, he could see Nolan and Monroe coming towards them.

Which is what Liam had wanted all along.

“Oh,” Liam said, dumbfounded. “I get it now.”

Theo smirked and rolled his eyes. “Finally.”

“So now what?” Liam asked as he glanced over Theo’s shoulder again. Nolan and Monroe were weaving their way through parked cars, heading in their direction fast.

“Run!” Theo said and grabbed Liam’s hand. He surged forward to weave in between cars, dragging Liam behind him. Liam picked up the pace until they were running side by side, as fast as werewolves could.

They cleared the drive-in and headed into the woods to the left of the big screen. And to the safety of Theo’s parked truck.

Once it came into view, Liam pulled open the passenger’s side door. Theo didn’t waste any time and jumped in the driver’s seat. 

“Go, go, go!” Liam drummed his palms against the dash as Theo cranked the wheel and shot Liam a wild grin. Liam held his gaze for a moment, enjoying how exuberant and pleased Theo looked. He never would have assumed that he and Theo would make a good team, but they did.

Once they were speeding away, Liam glanced at his watch.

Thirty minutes had passed. 

He hoped Malia and Scott had done it. Maybe now they could all breath a little easier.

&

The next week went by without incident, so their plan must have worked. The pack kept up their vigilant surveillance of Nolan, and they took turns going to Monroe’s counseling office hours to glean any information they could. Monroe was as obtuse and duplicative as she always was, so they had no idea what she was planning.

Liam was still worried, knowing that there was no way Monroe was just going to give up on the mission Gerard had given her. But finals were only a few days away, so he tried to keep himself occupied instead of dwelling. 

Studying also kept him from thinking about other things, namely Theo Raeken.

He hardly saw him around during the school day because juniors and seniors had pretty different schedules. However, Liam and Mason were in a mixed biology class with juniors and seniors. The upper level science classes were all electives, and Theo just so happened to have chosen biology. Their teacher used the open classroom concept most of the time, which meant that usually the students would move from station to station with their lab partners in order to complete their daily task sheets. But today they were just supposed to be studying quietly for the final. 

As a general rule, Liam didn’t talk to Theo in class. Sometimes he’d go out of his way to glare at Theo just to piss him off because he figured Theo deserved it. And Theo would glare right back, sometimes showing his fangs if he thought he could get away with it. 

But ever since Theo stepped up to help the pack at the drive-in, things felt different. Theo would say hello to him before class started and flash him a genuine smile. Liam found himself watching Theo take off his red jacket and drape it on the back of his chair before he sat down. He’d track Theo’s movements as he rolled up his sleeves and took out a pencil. He was mesmerized when Theo would put the top of his pencil between his lips.

Liam didn’t turn back to his books until Mason leaned over and poked him in the ribs. 

“Maybe stop staring and ask him to formal,” Mason whispered.

“I, uh. What?” Liam sputtered. 

“I knew it!” Mason looked way too smug for his own good as he returned to his own textbook.

Liam had completely forgotten about the winter formal. It was always the Friday after finals. It was planned that day on purpose, so that the school could celebrate together before everyone left for winter break.

Liam couldn’t remember if he’d ever seen Theo there before. Maybe Theo was one of the students who usually left early to get home.

As he glanced over at Theo again without even meaning to, he was struck by the thought that the formal was a black tie event. And there was no doubt in his mind that Theo would look good in a suit.

As soon as the bell rang, Liam scrambled up from his seat to catch up with Theo.

“Hey, so are you going to -” 

“Formal? You do realize I have werewolf hearing.” Theo cut him off, looking extremely smug.

“Well don’t worry, I would never ask you to go with me,” Liam scoffed, trying to cover up his embarrassment. He hurried out of the classroom with the feeling of Theo’s eyes on his back.

Maybe things weren’t going to change between them, not if Theo was going to keep being such a dick.

&

Liam didn’t bother with a tie, but ruffled his pocket square a bit before he asked Mason how he looked.

“Fine, now can we please go! You’ve been messing with your hair for the past hour.”

“Worst best friend ever,” Liam groused. Mason laughed and handed Liam his coat, and they walked out of the dorms into the crisp winter air. 

Now that he had nothing left to study for, his mind wandered to topics that he would rather have avoided. But he figured at the very least, he should look good tonight. On the off chance that Theo was going to be there. 

The marble pillars outside the auditorium where adorned with big red bows, and a huge green wreath with twinkling lights hung on the door. Once Mason pulled open the door, Liam was assailed with the sweet, cozy scent of holly and hazelnuts. There was a huge Christmas tree in the corner next to the stage. Its branches were weighted down with round red and blue glass ornaments and gold tinsel was wound around it. There were some candles burning on the buffet table, and tinsel was hung along the edge of the stage. 

“This looks nice,” Liam said to Mason. The beautiful Christmas decorations did a lot to lift Liam’s spirits.

“Yeah, I think Lydia led the decorating committee this year. There was no way she wasn’t going to do a good job,” Mason said as he waved at someone behind Liam.

Liam turned around and saw Lydia passing out little plastic cups on a tray. He and Mason made their way over to her, and eventually the rest of the pack joined them. If anyone noticed Liam continuously scanning the room for Theo, they didn’t call him out on it.

The dance had only been underway for about an hour when the band suddenly stopped playing. Liam pushed his way to the front of the crowd to stand next to Scott. As soon as he saw who had taken the mic, he felt his breath catch in his throat.

It was Gerard Argent in his Army uniform. He looked ten times as imposing as he usually looked with all of the ribbons on his chest and his military cover under his arm.

“Students of Beacon Preparatory Academy. As you know, this school holds a special place in my heart because of my late granddaughter. In her memory, I wanted to come visit during this holiday season. Your principal has graciously allowed me to speak to you all. I wanted to use this opportunity to remind each of you of the commitment brave men have already made for their country. Many of you here at this dance tonight would make fine soldiers too, when your country calls on you.”

Gerard handed off the microphone and then stared right at Scott with a smug smile on his face. Liam bared his teeth and growled before he could stop himself. Gerard’s words were inconspicuous, but his tone implied something much darker.

After Gerard was done staring them down, he walked out of the auditorium and the band started up again. At that point, none of the pack felt much like celebrating. 

They were all sitting in the bleachers listening to Stiles hypothesize a million horrifying, but hopefully unlikely, scenarios when Theo walked into the auditorium.

He was dressed in a black jacket and crisp white shirt. He had the collar of his overcoat popped, and he looked older somehow. He immediately made eye contact with Liam, even though he was on the other side of the room. 

Liam was drawn towards Theo like a magnet. If anyone from the pack said anything to him, he didn’t notice. He was already walking across the crowded dance floor.

“I didn’t think you’d come,” he said when he reached Theo.

“I didn’t think you wanted me to,” Theo shot back with his eyebrows raised. 

“Listen, I -” Liam was ready to launch into an apology when Theo stopped him with his raised hand.

“I saw Gerard walking out of here. How’s the pack?” 

This was as close as Theo had ever come to sounding concerned, and Liam was taken aback for a moment. After whatever fight had erupted between Theo, Scott, and Stiles last year, Liam wasn’t sure that Theo even cared about the pack. 

“Everyone is okay. Gerard just made some vague threats and blew out of here,” Liam explained.

“Sounds about right,” Theo said. He looked Liam up and down, slowly, deliberately. Liam felt his heart flutter in his chest. 

“You wanna go outside and get some air?”

Liam nodded, shoving his hands into his coat pockets as he followed Theo outside. 

The sounds of Christmas music followed them as Theo led Liam out of the double doors and around the corner of the marble building. Theo stopped to lean up against the wall and pulled a cigarette from his pocket.

“I’d ask if you want one, but I know you don’t smoke.” Theo lit his cigarette with a match and then flicked the match onto the ground. 

Liam stared as Theo brought the cigarette to his plush lips and breathed in. Theo stared back as he breathed out a puff of smoke.

“So why did you come, anyway?” Liam asked as he crossed his arms. He started pacing just to try to distract himself. Excess nervous energy was making his skin feel tight. He knew that Theo must have been able to smell it on him, but he couldn’t control it. 

“I can tell you’re interested,” Theo said slowly. He plucked the cigarette from his lips and grabbed the lapel of Liam’s overcoat to pull him close. Liam felt like his heart was trembling against his ribcage, trapped there. He didn’t know what to do with his hands. He tried to focus on breathing steadily, but so close to Theo all he could smell was his crisp woodsy aftershave, the sweet nicotine from his cigarette, and something like arousal just underneath the surface of Theo’s scent. That wasn’t helping Liam calm down. Quite the opposite, in fact.

“But I wonder, is someone like me not good enough for the head boy?”

And then Theo brought their mouths together, easy as you please. He hummed against Liam’s mouth, and Liam took the opportunity to slip his tongue between Theo’s lips. Their teeth clacked together as Theo tilted his head, tried to take control of the kiss. Liam brought his hands hands up to either side of Theo’s face to hold him steady. Theo seemed to melt after that, his soft plush lips moist against Liam’s. 

“Good enough,” Liam whispered, with his thumb stroking Theo’s cheek.

“Yeah?” Theo said, sounding a little breathless. Theo bit his bottom lip to hide his grin. 

Liam backed him up against the wall and Theo gasped into his mouth. They only broke apart of Theo to stub his cigarette out against the ground, and then they were back to holding each other close in the shadows. 

Once the music stopped and Liam could hear people leaving the auditorium, he figured it was high time for them to get back.

“Listen, I have curfew patrol tonight. I was kind of thinking that maybe I could, uh. Come over?” Liam stumbled over the last part, but he didn’t miss the pleased glint in Theo’s eyes.

“Sure.” Theo pushed off from the wall and out from under Liam. Liam watched him join the crowd of people walking back to the dorms with his heart still trembling.

&

Liam volunteered for curfew patrol the night of the dance just in case Theo was still around, and Liam was very glad he’d done that as he made his way to Theo’s room completely unhindered.

One of the perks of being a senior was that Theo had a room all to himself.

“Hall monitor duty, huh?” Theo said when he pulled open the door. He was still wearing his suit from earlier, although he’d taken the jacket off and ditched the black tie.

“Yeah, but I’m kinda hoping no one needs me tonight,” Liam whispered as he ran a hand through his hair, feeling unsure about this plan. Upon seeing Theo looking so calm and confident, Liam thought that maybe he’d realize Liam was too inexperienced for him to waste his time. 

“Stop overthinking it and come in,” Theo said as he pulled the door open wider. 

That kind of invitation was too good to pass up. Liam growled and pressed Theo against the door as soon as it was shut. Liam ran the flat of his tongue along Theo’s neck and felt his pulse beating a staccato rhythm. Theo’s hands touched his face and then his hips and then his ass, and Liam had to take big gulps of air to breath properly.

“Is this too fast?” Theo asked softly in Liam’s ear.

“No, I’ve just never been with a man before,” Liam admitted. He pulled back to look Theo in the face, hoping his admission wouldn’t make Theo change his mind. The concept of being attracted to men wasn’t completely novel to Liam, but it wasn’t something that was openly discussed in public. He wasn’t even sure if he knew what to do when the time came.

“That’s okay, Liam. I’m honored, really,” Theo said with a wicked grin. 

“Of course you are, jerk,” Liam teased. And then he picked Theo up and carried him to his bed. He heard Theo yelp in surprise, and then he wrapped his arms around Liam’s shoulders and held on.

“Stronger than you look,” Theo said, slightly breathless. Liam beamed. Clearly he’d hit on something Theo liked.

Theo pulled Liam down by the lapels of his jacket until he was lying on top of Theo. Liam thrust his thigh between Theo’s slacks until he felt the outline of his hard cock. Liam reached between them to touch Theo over his pants, and Theo hissed as Liam gripped him.

“Is this good?” Liam asked as he paused, unsure what that sound meant. He looked down at Theo, who was biting his bottom lip.

“Yeah, squeeze the base a bit more,” Theo instructed. Liam popped the buttons of Theo’s fly so he could reach inside and do as he was told. 

“Yeah,” Theo said breathlessly once Liam’s hand was on him. Liam moved slowly as he studied the way Theo’s face looked. He was looking at Liam with eyes wide and lips parted, panting slightly as Liam started jerking his cock. Liam grinned, proud that he could make Theo look so debauched even with his own clothes still on.

Theo may have read his mind, because he reached up and unbuttoned Liam’s white shirt. Liam was straddling Theo’s thighs, but he sat back to pull off his jacket. He slipped his suspenders over his shoulders and started to pull off his shirt, too.

“Leave the shirt,” Theo said, his voice sounding just a bit rough around the edges. Liam complied with a grin and spit in his palm.

“Wait, let me.” Theo grabbed Liam’s wrist and licked two of his fingers into his mouth. Liam watched with rapt attention as Theo stuck his tongue between Liam’s fingers and then sucked each of them slowly. When Theo released his wrist, Liam couldn’t get his hand around Theo’s dick fast enough. 

“Fuck,” Theo grunted. He ran his hands up over Liam’s abs and ribs as Liam concentrated on twisting his hand around Theo’s cock. 

“A bit faster, twist the head and I’ll come,” Theo whispered. Liam watched as Theo squeezed his eyes shut. His right hand gripped Liam’s hip and his left hand was fisted in the sheets as Liam worked Theo’s cock faster. 

Theo’s mouth fell open and then he came over Liam’s hand with a moan. Liam gripped Theo through it, even though his own cock was making its presence known. It was so satisfying to know he could make Theo feel that good. 

Theo looked disheveled and flushed, and Liam leaned down to kiss him gently. The room smelled strongly of sex and Liam nearly felt dizzy with it. He sat back up, unbuttoned his fly, and pushed his hand under his underwear, eager for release.

“Wait,” Theo rasped. Liam stilled his hand, worried. In a flash, Theo pushed him down onto the small bed and leaned in between Liam’s knees. Liam watched as Theo licked his lips and pulled Liam’s cock free of his underwear. Once Theo’s hand was on him, Liam felt an anticipation so sharp that his body started to tremble with it.

“Please,” Liam whimpered. He wasn’t asking for anything in particular, but he was already on the knife’s edge of orgasm and he wanted to fall. 

Theo’s eyes twinkled as he leaned down and sucked Liam into his mouth. 

“God, yeah,” Liam moaned. He pushed his head back against the pillows and squeezed his eyes shut. The wet heat of Theo’s mouth enveloped him, and his whole world narrowed to his cock. He felt Theo pushing his tongue against his head, and he forced himself to open his eyes and look down. He didn’t want to miss the sight of Theo sucking his cock, and he wasn’t disappointed. Theo’s mouth was slick with spit and looked so obscene stretched around Liam.

Theo pulled off with filthy wet sound. “Give it to me,” Theo growled.

And then he devoured Liam again. Liam’s cock easily slid down his throat, and Liam stopped holding back. Pleasure crashed over him in a wave as he shot his load in Theo’s mouth.

He opened his eyes again to see Theo staring down at him with a soft smile on his face. His cock was sticking out of his pants, his shirt stuck to his sweaty chest, and he was still messy from earlier. He looked glorious.

Liam sat up and helped Theo clean himself up, and then they both shed the rest of their clothes. They sat side by side on the bed without touching. Being completely naked somehow felt even more intimate than what they’d just done.

“I don’t have to stay,” Liam said as he looked at the ground. Theo leaned over and bit Liam’s earlobe, and Liam shivered from the way Theo’s teeth dragged over his flesh.

“Stay,” Theo said. “Perks of being the head boy, right? No one is going to catch you. And it’s your last night, anyway.”

Liam couldn’t argue with that logic. He watched Theo put on his school issued sweatpants, and then he slipped under the covers to sleep by Theo’s side. He didn’t do much sleeping, though. He kept imagining what it would be like in the morning. It would probably be awkward and stilted because they’d both have to say goodbye. Liam hated goodbyes. Goodbyes tended to remind him of the day his biological father left him and his mom. Liam just got an awkward pat on the back from him, and then a lifetime of wondering what could have been. 

It was hard to know whether Theo thought their hook up was just a frivolous one-off or something else, but Liam wasn’t sure if he even wanted to know the answer. He’d spent at least two weeks building up Theo in his head, and he wasn’t ready to hear Theo’s rejection.

Liam thought it would be better if he didn’t say anything at all. So as soon as it was light out, Liam slipped out of the room before Theo was awake. 

He’d already packed his stuff to go home, so all he had to do was shower, change, and grab his duffel bag. And then he was heading out the doors of the school to meet his parents, careful not to look back in case Theo was watching him.

&

Liam usually looked forward to Christmas. It was the one time of year he didn’t have to worry about tests, or lacrosse, or whether a hunter was out to get him. It was good to be wrapped in the familiar warmth of his home. He sat sit by the crackling fireplace with a comic book and enjoyed the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. He still pitched in with chores, gladly ate his mom’s cooking, and threw the football outside with his step-dad.

But he couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d ran out on Theo without saying a word. He had two weeks to agonize over whether Theo was angry with him for leaving. He wondered if Theo thought Liam to be some kind of coward for sneaking out. Or maybe he assumed Liam regretted what they’d done. Or even worse, maybe Theo didn’t care at all. 

Liam debated calling the dorm’s payphone, but it was located downstairs by the door. It would probably just ring and ring. Liam didn’t even know if Theo was still at school. Or someone who wasn’t Theo might answer it and that would be extremely embarrassing.

He couldn’t assume Theo was missing him, or even thinking about him. So it was stupid for Liam to spend his whole break obsessing over something he couldn’t change.

It would probably be better if Liam just forgot about the whole thing.

By the time the new year rolled around, Liam had a plan all worked out. It mostly involved avoiding Theo, spying on Monroe, and keeping the pack safe. He felt pretty confident that he could accomplish at least two of those things.


	2. Chapter 2

Liam had only been back to school for a couple of days when his plan was shot to hell. Principal Martin announced over the loudspeaker that there would be a draft party at the end of the week.

Liam was sitting in Biology next to Mason when he heard the news. 

“Fuck,” Mason whispered under his breath. 

“There’s no way Gerard isn’t involved,” Liam whispered under his breath as he pretended to leaf through his textbook. 

A draft party was how the school announced when some of the students would be conscripted to fight in Vietnam. When the military needed more war fighters, the next lottery numbers in order would be ordered to report. The orders would be mailed out to the selected group of men. Sometimes the Academy tried to show support for those who had been drafted by hosting a going away party, of sorts. But there had not been a nationwide announcement that more draft lottery numbers would be called. 

“Yeah, no kidding. But it’s not like we can get the party canceled,” Mason hissed.

Liam tapped his pencil against the desk impatiently. There was something he was missing. Liam glanced over to where Theo was sitting. He was bent over his desk, seemingly engrossed in the assignment. When Theo looked up, Liam hastily looked away.

They’d barely spoken since Liam had returned from winter break because Liam was trying to give him a wide berth. Liam almost wished Theo would get mad at him, yell at him, anything. Liam knew exactly what to do in a fight, but explaining his feelings was a much tougher situation. Liam had let the gulf between them widen until he didn’t know how to cross it anymore.

And now, Liam had an even bigger problem. Monroe and Gerard were one step ahead of the pack, somehow. Liam knew they must have been behind the fake draft party.

Liam rushed out of class afterwards to talk to Scott, glad for the excuse to avoid Theo.

&

Getting ready for the draft party felt vastly different than getting ready for the formal. Liam’s stomach was in knots and he felt cold sweat slide along his skin. He had no idea what Monroe was going to do, and the endless list of horrible possibilities made him feel anxious. The school made them all dress in suits or dresses for the occasion, which was probably the only silver lining of the whole event.

It was never a hardship to see Theo in a suit. 

Liam growled as he impatiently pulled at his tie to try and make it look right. 

“Hey, you’re going to choke yourself if you keep pulling it like that,” Mason chastised from where he was sitting, cross legged on his bed. “Let me help.”

Mason crossed the room and pulled Liam’s mangled tie from his hands so that he could put it around his own neck and fix it. 

Liam sat down on his bed with his head in his hands.

“Wanna talk about it?” Mason asked.

Liam looked up at him with a sigh.

“I have a bad feeling about tonight. What if Monroe has a back-up plan? What if Scott’s name is called for the draft anyway?” 

Mason clicked his tongue before handing Liam back his tie.

“Are you sure this isn’t about the fact that Theo will be there?” Mason asked.

Liam looked up to glare at him.

“Fine, fine. The point is, your last plan worked. The records were destroyed and as far as we know, Gerard hasn’t come back to campus. If Gerard could have gotten the supernatural seniors drafted, wouldn’t he have done it already? What is Monroe going to do? Forge the draft documents herself?” Mason said.

Mason stopped and looked at Liam with a grimace on his face. That sounded _exactly_ like something she would do. 

“You have to distract her, cause a diversion,” Liam said frantically as he grabbed his black suit jacket off his bed.

“What are you going to do?” Mason called as Liam headed for the door. The only thing Liam could think was, _I’m going to need back up._

Liam paused in the doorway. “I’m getting Theo. We are going to find those draft notices before the names are read.”

Liam wasn’t sure if Theo would want to help, but he had a feeling that Theo would at the very least be up for an adventure. And if he was being honest, he was tired of not talking to him anymore. Maybe this was the perfect excuse to mend things, so that they could at least go back to being on speaking terms. He dashed down the mostly deserted hallway and up the first flight of marble stairs until he reached Theo’s door. He was already standing in the doorway with a curious look on his face.

“Couldn't wait to see me, huh?” He said with his hand on his hip.

The striped suit fit him well, highlighting his broad chest and trim waist. Liam swallowed and brought his eyes back up to Theo’s face.

“Stuff it, Raeken,” Liam said automatically. Then he winced as he realized that wasn’t exactly the apology he was going for. He cleared his throat. Theo raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“I shouldn’t have… I didn’t mean to leave things so awkward between us.” Liam looked up at Theo as he changed gears. “But I could use your help.”

There was a pause, like Theo was considering it. He had a stern look on his face as he said, “As far as apologies go, I’ve heard better.” 

Liam deflated and crossed his arms over his chest. He was turning away when Theo spoke again.

“But I didn’t say no. Lead on, head boy,” Theo said as he gestured down the hallway. Liam grinned, taking Theo’s words at face value. Maybe he’d been forgiven after all. 

They booked it out of the building and Liam explained his hunch about the draft party on the way to the auditorium. Liam heard some people saying hello or shouting after him to watch where he was going, but he paid them no mind. 

Once they reached the auditorium, he poked his head inside. There were already students milling around, sipping on punch and sitting awkwardly in the bleachers, but he didn’t see Monroe. Scott was seated in a chair on the stage facing the rest of the students.

Because Scott was head boy for the seniors, the Principal was going to make him read the names and pass out the envelopes of those whose numbers were up, just like he’d done last draft party. Scott had said before that if it was his time to serve, he would. If Scott ever had to read his own name onstage, Liam had no doubt that he would be willingly conscripted with his classmates.

Then it was like a lightbulb went off in Liam’s head. If Monroe made Scott read his name in front of the whole Academy, there was no way he was going to refuse Gerard’s orders. He cared too much about being a good role model and a good citizen. Scott was critical for their plan to work.

The draft lottery numbers were posted publicly and it was easy enough to get a copy of the list, and Liam had recently checked it. Liam knew for a fact that Scott’s number wasn’t up. And neither was Theo’s. But that could change tonight if Monroe and Gerard had anything to say about it.

“Well?” Theo said as he elbowed Liam in the ribs. “You look like you’ve figured something out.”

Before he could answer, Mason jogging up to meet them with Corey in tow. 

“We got this,” Mason said as he gave Liam a thumbs up. Corey’s face was pinched like he was not pleased, but he nodded at Liam. Liam never felt more grateful to have a best friend like Mason as he watched him square his shoulders, take a deep breath, and enter the auditorium with Corey at his side. 

Liam turned back to Theo.

“Do you know where Monroe would be right now? We’ve got to find her,” Liam said.

Theo scanned the auditorium as he took a minute to consider.

“Maybe the teacher’s lounge? But that is in the math wing.” Theo paused and then snapped his fingers. “Wait. There’s a viewing room above the gym. There’s a staircase to it by the stage.”

“I’m not sure I want to know how you know that,” Liam said. “But I’m glad you do.”

“It was a long summer and I got sick of sleeping in my car,” Theo said quietly. 

Liam promptly realized he had just put his foot in his mouth, but he didn’t know how to fix it. It dawned on him that kids who stayed at the dorms for the holidays probably didn’t have family to go back to. Liam hadn’t even considered that Theo would have to stay at the dorms for the entire holiday. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean -”

“It’s fine.” Theo promptly cut him off with a shake of his head. “Am I correct in assuming Mason and Corey are supposed to be creating a diversion?” He gestured through the auditorium doors, and Liam turned around to look.

His mouth fell open in surprise. The scene before him was pure chaos already. The table with the punch bowl on it had been overturned and bright red punch was spilling across the ground. There was a student running through the gym screaming that a ghost had grabbed her skirt. The metal cage at the side of the auditorium holding the dodgeballs had burst, and red balls were bouncing all around the room. Some students had taken it upon themselves to start throwing the balls at each other, along with the sandwiches that had been put out on the table. 

Liam noticed Corey re-materialize in the center of the gym at Mason’s side. He’d clearly put his disappearing powers to good use. Liam’s eyes darted over to the front of the auditorium. Scott was climbing down the steps of the stage to comfort the girl who was crying about the “ghost.” Then Liam noticed Monroe stomp across the stage, shouting at the students to put the balls down.

“Now’s our chance,” Liam said as he grabbed Theo’s arm and pulled him into the gym. The pair of them darted through the crowd and dashed up the stairs. Liam ducked behind the curtains onstage and noticed the staircase leading up to the viewing room. He put his foot on the first step and paused.

“Keep watch,” he said over his shoulder to Theo. Theo raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

“Fine. Hurry,” Theo hissed. 

Liam didn’t need to be told twice. He reached the top of the stairs and pushed the door open. The first thing Liam noticed was the big blue couch. He pictured Theo sleeping there, alone, and it made his chest constrict with the sadness of it. He wished he would have known. He could have offered Theo a place to stay. A home to go to over the holidays.

In front of the couch was a coffee table. There were also chairs lined up in front of the big glass window that overlooked all of the chaos happening down on the auditorium floor. 

Liam grabbed at the stack of papers strewn about the table. Across the top the words ORDER TO REPORT FOR INDUCTION where clearly stamped in black ink. Upon first look, they looked real. 

Liam’s heart sank when he saw the first name. 

THEODORE RAEKEN.

He shuffled through the papers. The next one said Scott McCall. And then Brett Talbot. Jackson Whittemore. Ethan Steiner. Aiden Steiner. Isaac Lahey. Vernon Boyd.

All of the supernatural seniors were named.

This was definitely not a coincidence. 

Liam felt his hand clench around the papers. He looked down and realized he was shaking with anger. This wasn’t fair. Monroe shouldn’t get to pick who must face the horrors of war. Or who should have to work for Gerard.

He forced himself to look at Theo’s order again. As he scanned it, something caught his eye. The line that said where to report to was stamped in black ink, but the reporting address was the address of the academy. 

That definitely didn’t make sense.

Liam scanned the room again and noticed the alligator skin purse that was on the ground near the table. He put down the papers and hurriedly opened it. He searched around a moment before noticing a black ink pad. There was a large square stamp buried in the bottom of the bag. He didn’t have to dip the stamp in ink to know what it would say.

When he turned it over, the address of Beacon Preparatory Academy was clearly printed against the rubber, meaning Monroe had used the stamp to forge the orders.

He quickly pulled a lighter out of his pocket and flicked the igniter. He took great satisfaction in watching the fire devour Theo’s name.

“Come back down!” He heard Theo shout from the bottom of the stairs. 

Liam put the other papers into a nearby trash can and dropped the last flaming bits of Theo’s draft notice on top of them. He stuffed the stamp into his pocket and watched until the papers curled inwards and turned to ash. Then he went down the stairs as quickly as he could.

“Took you long enough,” Theo groused. “C’mon.”

Theo stuck out his hand, and Liam took it. Once again he found himself being hauled away by Theo’s strong grip. He nearly felt dizzy from the magnitude of his triumph. Monroe and Gerard weren’t going to take Theo away from him. Not if he had anything to say about it. He didn’t have time to examine why that mattered so much to him.

Theo pulled him through gym and past the mutinous students, until the pair of them burst out into the crisp night air. Liam stopped to catch his breath and looked up to see Theo staring at him.

“Why do I get the feeling I owe you one?” He said with his arms crossed and eyebrow arched.

“I didn’t do it just for you, you know,” Liam pointed out as he rolled his eyes.

“Right,” Theo said sarcastically. And then he grabbed Liam’s arm and hauled him forward until they were flush against each other. 

“Dream on. Just because I single-handedly saved the class of 1972 from Gerard, that doesn’t mean that I-”

Liam was promptly cut off from his monologue by Theo’s lips on his. He fiercely kissed back as the pieces fell into place. Theo still wanted him. Theo still _wanted_ him. He gripped the lapels of Theo’s jacket as Theo opened up to him with a growl. He felt hot all over from the sounds Theo was making into his mouth. 

“Damn,” Liam moaned. He couldn’t help it. Theo’s hands were skimming over his back until he was cupping his ass, and Liam felt like he still couldn’t get close enough.

Theo pulled back and Liam his eyes were drawn to Theo’s swollen, spit-slick lips. His blood was pounding in his ears, and he could feel his fangs threatening to emerge. The scent of Theo’s arousal flooded his system. But Liam also remembered they had a gym full of their friends to protect.

“We can’t,” Liam panted against Theo’s mouth. 

“What? You didn’t miss this?” Theo grinned, but he looked disappointed as he dropped his gaze and let go of Liam.

“It’s not that. I mean I did. Miss that.” Liam scrambled to explain. “The others. They are back there with Monroe.”

Understanding passed over Theo’s face, and he nodded. “You’re right. Lead on.” Theo gestured towards the gym with a fake smile plastered on his face.

Liam groaned in frustration. He didn’t want Theo to think they should go back to what they were before, which was acquaintances at best and enemies at worst. He didn’t want to be the one that walked out on Theo again.

So he grabbed Theo’s hand and hauled him in for one more kiss. He bit at Theo’s bottom lip before he stepped back again.

“I swear, this won’t be the last time we do that,” Liam said.

Theo hummed appreciatively, and this time his smile reached his eyes.

Liam tore off back to the auditorium with Theo on his heels.

&

The scene wasn’t quite as chaotic as Liam was expecting. There was food and punch all over the normally pristine auditorium floor, but Monroe was nowhere to be seen.

Mason and Corey were sitting on the floor, surveying the damage. They seemed to be a bit shell-shocked. Liam reached out a hand to haul Mason back up on his feet.

“You okay, man?” Liam asked.

“Yeah. Monroe yelled at us and then she left. She told us all to stay here.”

“As if we have anywhere else to go,” Corey pointed out as he clamored to his feet.

“At least your diversion worked,” Theo said with a grin.

“You guys should have escaped while you had the chance,” Malia said as she came up next to them with Scott, Stiles, and Lydia in tow.

“But thanks for whatever you did. I’m not sure exactly what just happened, but at the very least you destroyed the draft party,” Scott said as he clapped Liam on the shoulder.

“I’m sure Monroe will be back, though,” Lydia said. 

Before she had even finished speaking, the click of heels against the wooden auditorium stage made them all turn around.

“Students of Beacon Preparatory Academy.” Principal Martin began,with Monroe at her side. “Seeing as how I cannot expel all of you, you all have detention for a week. And you are responsible for cleaning this auditorium. There will be no lacrosse practice this week, either.”

Monroe was standing next to Principal Martin with what appeared to be a punch stain down the front of her shirt. Her jaw was clenched and her arms were crossed as she stared menacingly down at Scott. Clearly, she thought he had something to do with the burned up orders.  
Liam stared at her, his body tense with anger and his blood boiling. He could feel his claws threatening to erupt from his fingers. He Liam stepped up next to him and bared his teeth slightly at her. He wanted her to know that she didn’t intimidate him. Or any of them. In fact, he wanted to rip her throat out for what she’d tried to do.

He felt Theo moving to stand next to him and then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t turn his head to look, but he could hear Theo quietly whispering under his breath.

“Not that I don’t hate her, but being wanted for murder probably isn’t much fun.”

Liam took a deep breath and unclenched his fists. Theo had a point.

“And the draft party is canceled. It seems that there has been some kind of mistake and we are looking into it,” Principal Martin finished.

Liam exhaled sharply. That made it sound like Monroe lied about what happened to her bogus draft orders, but Liam didn’t particularly care. He was just glad to know that he had kept his pack safe for at least one more day.

Students were cheering all around them as Principal Martin exited the stage with an angry Monroe on her heels. Liam turned around to see Scott and Malia hugging, and Corey and Mason cheering with the crowd. Lydia and Stiles were walking over to greet Mrs. Martin, who didn’t look quite as angry as Liam might have expected her to look.

Which just left Theo. 

“So you’re not going to tell them what you did?” Theo asked under his breath.

Liam shook his head and shrugged. “Maybe later.”

Theo kept on looking at him with the corners of his mouth upturned and his eyes soft. Liam started to feel self conscious, pinned under his steady gaze.

“What?”

“I’m impressed,” Theo said simply. He shook his head a bit in a silent laugh and wisps of dark hair fell over his eyes. 

“Shut up,” Liam said as he lightly punched Theo in the arm. Theo was beaming at him with his hair mussed and his tie loosened. The way his crisp jacket fit snugly over his biceps made quite the enticing picture. 

He reached out and pulled Theo by his tie. Theo came toward him easily. 

“Cashing in on what you said earlier?” He said softly.

Liam didn’t bother answering. Instead, he pressed his lips to Theo’s and it felt as natural as breathing.

“Too bad we have to help clean up,” Liam mumbled against his mouth.

“You’re too nerdy for your own good, head boy,” Theo said with a laugh. But he stepped away and joined the rest of the pack. Janitors had brought out mops, buckets, brooms, and trash cans and everyone seemed to be pitching in. 

Liam only stared at the way the black fabric of Theo’s slacks stretched across his ass for a moment before jogging over to join the clean up crew.

&

The draft was officially ended on January 27, 1973. The whole school erupted in cheers as soon as the announcement was broadcast. Liam couldn’t get out of class fast enough.

Liam wasn’t about to forget that there was still a war going on, and so many Americans had already made the ultimate sacrifice. Maybe there were other ways he could help. 

But Theo Raeken wouldn’t be at Gerard’s mercy. The pack was safe from Gerard’s plan.

Liam skidded to a halt when he saw Theo standing in the hallway. Theo met his gaze and smiled. Liam’s heart soared even as students streamed past him. 

Even with Theo’s graduation looming and their futures less than certain, Liam felt his worries evaporating. For Theo, he would have done whatever was necessary to keep him safe. That thought alone should have terrified him, but instead it made him feel grateful that Theo was such a big part of his life now.

Liam grinned and jogged forward to reach him. He kissed Theo right in the hallway, in front of everyone. If that wasn’t a declaration of love, Liam didn’t know what else would have been.

Theo didn’t protest. Instead, he kissed him back.


End file.
